156 SELECTING BREEDING STOCK. 



In selecting an untried mare as a brood mare, it is almost 

 impossible to determine what her influence on her offspring 

 may be. Yet, if she be a mare of strong will-power and nat- 

 urally nervous, high strung and trappy, the chances are she 

 will make a positive breeder ; *. e., breeding largely after her- 

 self. On the other hand if she appears mild, extra clever, and 

 of a passive disposition, the chances are that she may become 

 a passive breeder, following largely after the sire. What I 

 term a positive brood mare will breed after herself whatever 

 the sire may be, and if a good one should be highly prized as 

 the dam of matched teams ; while what I term a passive brood 

 mare should be bred only to the very best stallions in the 

 •country, as their produce will resemble the sire in most re- 

 pects. Of course we must take into consideration that with 

 animals as with the human family " blood will tell." "What is 

 " bred in the bone " will be transmitted. 



The influence of the dam in the transmission of hereditary 

 qualities is generally very much underestimated, and by some 

 breeders almost entirely ignored ; yet, when we consider how 

 intimately the foal is connected with the dam, not only pre- 

 vious to its birth but long afterwards, that from the very begin- 

 ning of life it is fed by the mother's blood and affected by her 

 moods, before it has seen the light she has had the time and 

 power to stamp it with her vices or her virtues, impart to it 

 her weakness or her strength — in consideration of these facts 

 some of the most careful of our breeders are of the opinion 

 that the dam is justly entitled to fully sixty per cent, of her 

 influence on the foal. 



In selecting the brood mare great attention should be paid 

 to the shape and quality of her feet and legs, always bearing 

 in mind the old but true adage: "JSTo foot, no horse." The 

 race-horse that is always troubled with "a leg" is a nuisance. 

 Avoid curby hocks, spavins, or hock joints predisposed by 

 nature to spavins, either bog or bone. Her leg should be 

 rather flat, firm, hard, and smooth, showing an entire absence 

 of adipose tissue ; rather large but well-defined joints entirely 



